Basketball Recap: Cherokee Starts Season with Defeat on the Road

Cherokee kicked off their season on the road on Thursday and hit a couple of potholes. They were dealt a 73-41 defeat at the hands of the Franklin Panthers. The Braves haven't had much luck with the Panthers recently, as the team has come up short the last seven times they've met.

Cherokee's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Kaden Stephens, who shot 63% from the field to rack up 13 points, and Utsela Saunooke, who posted nine points and six boards.

Franklin was led to victory by Will Rauers and JackJack Teesateskie. Rauers went 6-for-14 en route to 16 points in addition to five rebounds and five steals, while Teesateskie shot 63% from the field on his way to 20 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Peyton Hervey, who scored nine points and eight boards.

Franklin has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it.

Cherokee didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 71-35 win against Nantahala on the 5th. As for Franklin, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 90-47 victory against Swain County on the 8th.